Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

I am in desperate need of a new toner and moisturizer. The ones I am using at the moment are almost done and they have yet to fix my skin problem =/

I have combination skin - oily on the nose and forehead, yet normal on the cheeks. The biggest problem is that no matter what I use, my skin gets extremely oily within an hour! even without any make-up.

I also have quite a lot of pores (on the cheeks, but especially on the nose). No matter how many products I try, none of them ever get smaller.

So what I am asking for, what is a good toner and moisturizer for someone with combination skin that gets extremely oily within an hour? I have tried rich creams and less rich ones, but none of them work. I would also like to minimize the pores. It is gross that my make-up will sink into them and make them even more noticeable than they already are =/

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

Be careful about too much oil control. What I didn't understand for YEARS is that oil production comes also from dehydration and/or irritated skin. I stopped using my Clairisonic, for example, because it angered my skin and just made things worse. Personally, I can't use Clinique's #3 toner because it's a bit too much for my skin, but their #2 and their Mild liquid cleansers are perfect.

So, adequately hydrating the skin with hyaluronic acid (read your labels!) and oil-free gel moisturizers help a lot. Carry Boscia's blotting papers with you if needed. I use Tarte's Finishing Powder, and I find it does the best job at keeping me shine-free for the longest. (Not all day, but the LONGEST.)

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

Look at Dr. Brandt's no more pores product line and see which is right for you. His products from this line are dedicated to oil control and pore size. The best way of keeping your pores smaller looking is to keep them clean. Hope this helps!

Those are the stuff I use in the summer (oily combo) and enjoys. Oh, I think Origins also have a toner called zero-oil, but I think that's for oily skin not combination skin that produces oil fast, I dunno, just another option. o.O

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

You basically described my skin type in a nutshell! Rich creams are geared toward people with dry skin, because they're so rich it will sink into their skin to become hydrated. Creams in general aren't really the way to go when dealing with oily skin and partially oily skin. Opt for gel formulas as a moisturizer. They're lightweight, effective for combo/oily types, and some help keep the face matte without looking cakey when makeup is applied. Here's some suggestions for the moisturizer:

Clinique Dramatically Different Gel

I swear by this stuff even with acne, and it has no scent for sensitive skin. Oil-free formula that leaves skin soft.

Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel

A cooling moisturizer that brightens and clarifies the complexion while minimizing the look of pores. I wouldn't recommend this if your skin is super sensitive though, it is quite "tingling" (like an icy/hot patch). The charcoal absorbs the excess oil and is also great for acne prone skin.

*Some toners you may want to check out are listed below:

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3

A gentle, oil-free exfoliating toner for combination and oily skin.

This is a good one to pair with the Clinique moisturizer I mentioned above. It can be drying however, but I never found this too drying for my oily t-zone area and dry cheeks as long as you follow with a moisturizer you're good to go!

Another great toner for combo/oily skin is something with tea tree oil in it. I use LUSH Tea Tree Water as my toner. It's my go-to alcohol free toner. The antiseptic tea tree oil clears out blemish causing bacteria, while grapefruit and juniper water balance oil production. A great dupe for the LUSH one is The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner.

Remember to do a 3 step system everyday: Wash, Tone, Moisturize. Adding in a good skin care exfoliator once or twice a week is helpful as well. And finally, a face primer like Benefit POREfessional or Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel before you apply makeup keep the shine down and diminish pores with an airbrushed look will visibly help with the oil and enlarged pores. Hopes this helps

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

I use BB cream (I am currently using one from Purederm, but I just bought one from Etude) from Korea. I used a powder foundation before, and even though it made my pores look less visible and it prevented my face from getting oily that fast, it made me break out over a period of time.

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

Ya I'm with you Spyski. I was about to list off the products that work best for me. I also have combination skin, greasy forehead, and larger pores than I would like. Getting my toner and moisturizer down has been key to managing this for me, and the comedones that this causes for me. I've played with a lot of really highly rated products and have recently settled on Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel and Clinique's Clarifying Lotion (I use 2 cuz I'm a bit on the dryer side).

Benefit's POREfessional will definitely hide your pores, but by filling them and smoothing the surface. I use Clinique's Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum on trouble spots and it actually really does make your pores smaller, but you have to use it at least once a day or it stops:

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

Unfortunately, we can't minimize the size of pores. We can deep clean them (better let a pro do it for you) to get the dirt out and make them appear smaller, but nothing will shrink the actual size of the pores.

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

I do not use a primer before I apply make-up. I have tried several primers before (the best selling ones) and sure, they did make my make-up stay on longer, but they did nothing to minimize the appear of pores. Not to mention, all of them made me break out =/ As for exfoliators, I use a Japanese brand called Natural Aqua Cure Gel and it is amazing! It is rumored that a bottle is sold every 10 seconds in Japan. I do not have a lot of treatments, but I do use massage masks geared towards smoothness and hydration from Korea. My main concern is the daily skincare I should use since the ones I have tried before do not provide my face with what it needs.

Re: Toner and Moisturizer for Combination Skin?

But if the masks aren't helping with your pores and oil, then it might not be the right fit for you. You should still look into a 1-2x a week treatment to exfoliate (manual like a scrub, or chemical like glycolic, retinol...) To clean the pores out you need something that will get in deep, a hydration mask won't do that unless it's packed with AHA/BHAs or something strong.